On an episode of Stand Up For Truth, theologian Scott Alan Buss condemned American culture for not adhering to an allegedly Biblical concept of viewing 13 year olds as adults. If his portrait at Amazon.com is accurate, when is he going to start looking like an adult and cut his hair if he is going to demand such rigorous perfection from the rest of us? If we are going to live hardcore Biblical, does not the Scripture teach it is shameful for a man to have long hair?

Interesting. Apparently when White Southerners oppose homosexuality, progressive Southern Baptist functionaries condemn the conviction as “redneck theology”. When assorted immigrant communities oppose homosexuality, that sociological fact is coopted by these same ecclesiastical subversives to beat the rest of us over the head as to how far American Christianity has drifted irrespective of whether or not the congregation addressed has embraced the prevailing wave of debauchery.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

A blurb for the book reads, “A Biblically grounded presentation of the value migrants, immigrants, and refugees bring to all of us.”

Does the text also emphasize the Scripture that also urges rendering to Caesar what is Caesars and to obey those earthly laws that do not violate those of God?

As such, the author shouldn't have a problem with a legitimately constituted government determining by a set of standards agreed upon by the CITIZENS of the particular country in question whom might be granted entrance into that particular country and what reasonable documents authenticate membership in that particular nation-state.

If immigrants are to glom themselves onto the Christian narrative, it should be pointed out that Mary and Joseph went dutifully to pay their taxes.

The couple did not rampage through the streets of Nazareth demanding they be granted a hardship exemption.

By insisting that “Jesus was a migrant”, the attempt is made to imbue this sociological and legal category with the sinlessness and perfection of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

However, as much as I have heard these people carouse and booze late into the night, I assure you they most definitely have not yet reached such a state of flawless sanctification.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is outraged that the coach of Clemson University's football team is promoting an atmosphere on his team that is “too religious”.

What college sports really needs instead are more sex and drug scandals.

As evidence of its claim, the atheist front group is citing the inordinate number of players on the team attending VOLUNTARY Bible studies.

Perhaps even worse, the coach subjects those under his leadership to non-sectarian Scriptural admonitions such as a paraphrase of I Corinthians 9:24-25 reading “Run your race to win, don't just run the race.”

Perhaps, in these times of hypertolerance and multiculturalism, a more Hindu or Buddhist perspective is preferred with athletes adopting an attitude that the race does not matter or doesn't exist anywhere but in the minds of the participants.

Perhaps these subversives would also like to expunge the remainder of the Judeo-Christian patrimony from the remainder of the curriculum.

That is the ultimate goal of these agitators, after all, as epitomized by the infamous slogan “Hey Hey, Hey Ho, Western Civ Has Got To Go.”

If nothing else, at least then we'd no longer be subject to the throwaway snide remark about being one's brother's keeper being elevated to the level of justification for income confiscation and redistribution.

Since the Freedom From Religion Foundation gets such a rush from being all bent of shape, when do they intend to get around to taxpayer funds going to provide prayer rooms and footwashing facilities set aside exclusively adherents of that form of sectarian totalitarianism?

Flaming homosexual bishop was asked to offer the benediction at the White House Easter prayer breakfast. So should someone be offered such an opportunity based solely on the basis of what turns them on? Will this opportunity to someone whose primary claim to fame is a penchant for redheads or the pleasingly plump?

A student at Central York High School was given a three-day in school suspension for asking Miss America to the prom and approaching her to bestow upon her a rose crafted from distilled petroleum byproduct.

The beauty queen was there to discuss diversity and the importance of math and science.

The school is claiming that the suspension was necessary because he decided to defy academic authorities after being instructed to not proceed with the gesture after they had been informed of the conspiracy.

But perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the incident is how the school may have found out about it.

According to WMAL's Saturday morning show, pedagogues were tipped off by the NSA.

If so, is this the kind of national security dictatorship Americans want to live in where federal intelligence operatives troll the dark corners of cyberspace for the purposes of foiling high school pranks and hijinks?

Some are asking what exactly did the student do wrong?

In essence, little more than failing to comply with the directives of the state and causing a disruption. But did the student really cause a disruption?

Friday, April 18, 2014

The cover of the April 2014 Atlantic Magazine is titled “The Over-Protected Kid: New Research Shows He'll Grow Up More Fearful And Less Creative”.

Provided he is not on welfare, is that really anyone's business?

The parents are pretty much screwed over any way they turn.

Let your kid run wild, and you'll get slapped with abuse allegations.

Not yet your kid play with matches and stick utensils in electric sockets?

You will liable get slapped with a stiffer penalty for stifling exploration and expression.

Let your child, especially the male ones, roughhouse as they please and verbalize whatever comes to mind, and they will be branded as “predators” and “harassers”, ending up on offender registries forcing them to live in tent cities deep in the woods.

Given that numerous parents have no doubt lost their health insurance as a result of Obamacare or have to pay deductibles through the roof so Sandra Fluke can live on her back with her thighs flayed open are those advocating childhoods of feral adventure going to pick up the emergency room tab?

Or are we suppose to gaze upon these injuries simply as a way of thinning the herd?

In early February 2014, the sports world completed what could be considered the highlight of its year with the playing of the Super Bowl.

Those of a more bookish or scholarly inclination got to enjoy a similar kind of excitement just a few days later when they could pick sides as evangelist Ken Ham faced off against Bill Nye the Science Guy.

The issue at hand was whether evolution is sufficient to account for the existence of life.

Ken Ham, on the one hand, believes that, without appealing to a literal understanding of the opening chapters of the Book of Genesis, all of the foundations upon which intellectual comprehension and a just social order rest begin to break down.

As an avowed Humanist (having been recognized as the 2010 Humanist of the Year by the American Humanist Association), Bill Nye believes that the processes of the material universe are comprehensive enough in themselves to account for the complexity of the reality in which we find ourselves.

Granted, there are a number of assorted positions between these two poles. Salvation is not determined by disbelief in Charles Darwin's theories but rather in one's belief in the finished work of Christ upon the cross of Calvary. After all, it can be argued that God has a special place in His heart for the dimwitted.

Interestingly, some of the most scathing criticisms directed towards Ken Ham did not necessarily come from the raving village atheists but more from those that would consider themselves Ham's fellow believers. Foremost among them was none other than Pat Robertson.

Instead of commending Ham for the courage to take a principled Christian stand on one of the foremost issues facing the faith in the contemporary era, Robertson counseled, “Let's not make a joke of ourselves.” Apparently he comes down on the side of the debate holding to some kind of theistic evolution or progressive creationism.

It would not be gentlemanly to deny the validity of the faith in Christ of those holding to such a position. However, the perspective holds that God is not powerful enough or is too stupid to create the world in seven literal standard “Earth days” as detailed in the Book of Genesis.

Put that aside for now. But “Let's not make a joke out of ourselves” is a ship that sailed from Robertson's Virginia Beach compound years and even decades ago. But then again, maybe it flew off in a jet taking off from Robertson's private airplane runway or road off on one of this thoroughbred horses all the while Robertson insists global warming is the result of we mere common folks having too much such as automobiles powered by internal combustion engines.

One would think that Pat Robertson might show a little more compassion or understanding to those that say controversial things but which contain considerable truth after they have been reflected upon. After all, was not Robertson the one that pointed out that the true danger of leftwing feminism was that it would encourage woman to kill their babies, take up witchcraft, and become lesbians?

Robertson's whacked out remarks go beyond any of Ham's claims no matter how ludicrous the assertions of the Australian evangelist sound to those building their epistemological house foremostly upon man's reason.

For example, Robertson claims that, if it weren't for the prayers offered by his ministry, the Tidewater area of Virginia would have already been destroyed as a result of an oncoming hurricane. And this was one of Robertson's less shocking flubs, with others going so far beyond Scriptural propriety to actually violate divine mandates.

For example, Robertson suggested that a spouse ought to go ahead and divorce a partner suffering from Alzheimer's. The suggestion was made not as some strategy to secure additional insurance or social welfare in a broken system that penalizes loving couples trying to live properly. Rather, Robertson made the comment so that the healthy spouse could dump the ailing partner in order to find someone else to frolic in the boudoir with.

The Bible establishes that marriage is intended to be a life long arrangement to dissolve upon the death of one of the involved parties. That is why in the marriage vows that the promises are for better or for worse, and in sickness and in health until death do they part.

Who wouldn't rather spend one's declining years (often euphemistically referred to as “golden”) puttering around a Florida retirement community in a golf cart. However, shouldn't one strive to stand by the promise made years ago? It's not like the mate with dementia set out intentionally to lose a lifetime of memories and to complete life as a proverbial vegetable.

Yet these claims made by Robertson on different occasions regarding difficult questions over which sincere believers trying to decipher God's will can disagree are not necessarily the worst of Robertson's shenanigans.

On many Christian television programs, prayer is a regular featured element. In most Christian traditions, prayer occurs when the believer directs communication --- either spontaneous or fabricated --- directly to the triune Godhead.

If most Christian leaders are sincere, they will admit that this communication usually flows in one direction in the audible sense. If some want to insist that the communication or communion can be felt by the parties at either end of this direct line into the noumenal, those that should be spared additional psychological evaluation will admit that what they experience is more akin to a sense of peace and well being that may come over them as they reflect upon the grandeur and power of the Heavenly Father in comparison to what ever burden they are bringing to Him to lay at the foot of the Cross.

If some public religious figure tells you that God TOLD this leader to pursue a particular course of action, the best thing to do is to RUN away as soon as possible. For eventually, the thing that such figures usually insist the Almighty is telling them to do is either sleep with YOUR spouse or to force you to drink the funny-smelling Kool Aid.

Robertson takes his own version of the divine dialog over the boundaries of acceptability in its own particular fashion. The televangelist insists he receives direct replies back from God.

Referring to this beatific telepathy as a “word of faith”, Robertson insists that the Holy Spirit is conveying back to him and a few select minions what amount to press releases regarding these movings in mysterious ways. Usually these are healings that are supposedly taking place at the time the ritual is conducted.

The thing of it is is that these revelations seldom ever happen to be very specific in terms of names and locations. Robertson and his minions insist they see somewhere out in the viewing audience someone being healed of a non-descriptive back pain or stomach ailment.

One would think that if the Holy Spirit deemed it important enough to inform Robertson of these miraculous interventions, the third person of the Trinity would also provide the address of the person being healed. After all, if this was all on the up and up, you think that might be good in terms of professions of faith, ratings, and (of course) the bottom line.

Such a scatterbrained approach no doubt helps Robertson cover his backside. By keeping these claims of precognition or telepathy intentionally vague, the likelihood is increased that at least occasionally some individual will step forward claiming that they were the one that Robertson was talking about.

Ken Ham, on the other hand, is more on the up and up. Even if one does not agree with his conclusions, at least the claims of creationist theory are made on the basis of a logical or evidential methodology that the skeptical can attempt to disprove or refute.

About all we have from Robertson is the claim that God blows in his ear. That isn't really all that much different than what Jim Jones and David Koresh use to say.

Scripture declares that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. But in comparing their overall ministries, the antics of Pat Robertson have brought far greater embarrassment to the cause of Christ than the labors of Ken Ham ever have or likely ever will.

A preacher proclaimed from behind the pulpit that Revelation 19:11 depicting Christ on a white horse is most likely merely symbolic and not to be taken literally.

The evidence provided was that this particular expositor did not believe that there are horses in Heaven.

Unless the speaker can provide irrefutable proof that they have been to Heaven, on what grounds do they have to make such an absolute categorical statement?

Granted, the horse is not likely one that has already trod this Earth before such as Trigger, Mr. Ed, or Flicka.

However, it could be a horse that hails entirely from the celestial realm.

If horses existing in Heaven are beyond credibility, why should we believe other passages regarding what is suppose to be the ultimate home of the Christian?

Perhaps the Pearly Gates aren’t so pearly since a pearl is essentially ossified oyster spit.

If it is beyond the realm of possibility for a non-human or non-angelic life form to exist in the beatific realm, why should we believe that there is a tree there that bears seven kinds of fruit for the healing of the nations?

The point is made that often the Bible employs metaphorical language to convey concepts that the human mind would not otherwise be able to grasp.

However, if the Savior riding into history on a white steed is not to be taken all that seriously, why should we accept promises of His return at all or claims that He entered into the world the first time through the womb of a holy virgin, or that He rose from the dead so that those that believe in Him might have eternal life?